"Easy, Harry. It's all right," whispers Dad while holding me as I awaken. "You're safe."

I, however, start to scramble away from him glancing around wildly. It's just a habit I've done ever since I've first remembered that wretched night. He allows me to leave his arms and follows our routine that we've developed by holding his hands up so I know he's not going to threaten me. It's rather ridiculous if one thinks about it, but it calms me down. I notice instantly that I'm in my bedroom.

"Where's Draco?"

"To your right," Dad replies before pointing towards the blond Slytherin. Sure enough, Draco is lying beside me. "He stayed by your side all night." He looks positively exhausted as he sleeps next to me. "He fell asleep not too long ago, but only because I informed him that I'd watch over you both." I nod slowly before glancing at Dad. I can see the fatigue in his face, too.

"Dad," I start to say. However, my voice catches in the back of my throat.

"Hush, you don't need to apologize for anything," Dad replies before motioning towards me if it's all right for him to come closer. I nod instantly and sigh when his strong arms wrap around me. "I should have realized that something like this might occur." I glance up at him, but I don't say anything. "To create our link, I used a branch of mental arts called Legilimency. It enabled me to enter your mind and create a bridge between our two minds." I nod slowly. He's told me all this before. "If one wished it, one could enter any person's mind without his or her knowledge of it at any given time. The very basic form of Legilimency requires eye contact, but for skilled Legilimens like the Dark Lord or even me, it just requires closeness to the individual."

"So he was near us then?" I ask before shivering. I've always felt so safe here at the manor.

"No, Harry. The wards would have sounded if he came within five hundred yards of the manor." My eyes then narrow on him. "It appears that you share a mental link with him through your scar," Dad explains. I instantly start to rub violently against my scar in efforts to rub it away. Dad, however, quickly grabs my arm and stops me. "Harry, stop," he quietly says.

"I don't want to be linked with him, Dad," I cry before he gently pulls me closer to him.

"Hush, child, I know," he replies rubbing circles on my back.

We remain silent for each other. It's mostly because I don't even know what to say. I mean, I want to cry into his shoulder how close I came to killing Mum, but the words stay in my throat. I want to apologize and beg for his forgiveness, but I know he's not upset with me. He should be, though. I then inhale slowly, drawing in the rich scent of cinnamon and strangely enough vanilla. It's the fact that he smells like vanilla that makes me quietly laugh against his shoulder. He smells like a giant cookie.

"What are you laughing about, son?"

I slowly pull back from him and close my eyes. Who knows? Maybe Dad will even laugh with me. I draw in another whiff of my vanilla and cinnamon scented Dad before answering.

"You smell like a cookie, Dad." He gives me an odd look and then chuckles quietly.

"That is no doubt from the potion I brewed for Aurora," he replies before sighing. He then glances towards me, which means he probably has noticed my dark thoughts. "Harry, she'll be fine."

"I nearly killed her, Dad."

"No, you didn't, Harry." Glancing towards Draco briefly, he turns back towards me. He seems to be making up his mind about something, which only confuses me more. He then pushes himself up off the bed and gently slides his arms under Draco. He silently walks with the blond Slytherin towards my bedroom door before turning back. "Well, Harry, are you coming?"

I nod slowly and quickly catch up to them. As we walk down the hallway, I notice that we seem to be heading towards Dad's bedroom. I feel a bit hesitant with knowing this. I mean, sure, they keep acting like it wasn't me, and they're right. I would never want to hurt Mum. I then sigh and quietly remain following them. However, I instantly stop in the doorway when I see Dad setting Draco down on the bed near Mum. I glance at him with a look of sheer puzzlement. Dad only motions me to come closer, which I do.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

"Taking off my boots, Harry," he replies with a soft smile.

"I realize that, but why?" He glances at me before chuckling.

"I would think that would be obvious, child."

My eyes widen when Dad silently climbs on top of the bed and lies down. I then glance towards Draco, who must have woken up at some point. I can see the amusement in his gray eyes at my shock. Though, who wouldn't be shocked to see their dad, mum, and well, I guess now brother sharing the same bed together.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Potter? An invitation?" the blond Slytherin drawls.

"But it's…odd," I reply glancing from Dad to Draco.

"Oh, honestly, Potter, get your arse over here. I won't bite."

I bite my bottom lip, though. I will admit that during my third year when I was suffering in the dorms from frequent night terrors after my experiences with the Dementors, Ron held me once. He said it was just something families did for one another, and that it didn't mean he was trying to come on to me or anything. While I'm sure we were both horribly uncomfortable over the entire situation, it did seem to work that night. However, we never tried that again because it was just too odd for us. On occasion, I've even had Dad hold me in his arms when trying to get me to sleep. I don't know what it is, but it's probably just the fact that I have a warm breathing body protecting me from the world.

"Merlin, it was only an hour ago that I was hugging you while you slept like a baby. Now, get over here before I walk over there and drag you by your ears, little brother."

"Little brother…?" I squawk. "You're only older than me by a month!"

"See, I'm still older than you. So, listen to your big brother, Harry, and get over here."

I not so quietly start to mumble under my breath before walking over to the bed. I lay myself down in front of Mum and find myself staring directly into Draco's gray eyes. My green eyes quickly dart towards Dad's as he staring at me with a soft smirk.

"It's not funny, Dad," I grumble.

"Oh, of course not, son," he replies clearly amused.

I roll my eyes and try to think about something else. As the silence filters around us, I start to notice that I can feel Mum's heartbeat against my back. The feeling makes me smile briefly because it reassures me that she is still alive. However, my smile falters slightly as I start to think of some of the oddities that have happened this summer. I glance back towards Dad, who has been staring at me the entire time. It's almost as if he knew I have questions.

"Dad, what was that glow around Mum earlier?"

"It was her magic, Harry." My eyes narrow slightly. "It shouldn't come to be much of a surprise, but Aurora knows as many protective charms as Lily had. In fact, when it came to charms, they both are equally talented. However, Aurora is a bit more versed in the old magic rather than the new." Dad then sighs. "Has Filius or perhaps another lectured about the dangers of using old magic yet?" I shake my head in response. I'm rather relieved when Draco agrees with me. "Old magic is rather unstable. It's one of the numerous reasons most don't use it anymore. It also requires a vast amount of raw energy. While one may be successfully casting their spell, which takes a considerable amount of magic on its own, one must also be casting a shield on himself and the intended target so the spell doesn't backfire. Thousands of wizards and witches over the years have used old magic and died as a result of not casting a shield." Dad then sighs softly before gently shaking his head. "I'm not quite certain which spell she used on you, but it appears the spell drained her core completely."

"Her magic is gone?" I ask breathlessly.

"Not gone for good, Harry," he quickly replies. "It'll take awhile, but her core is starting to replenish itself slowly." I nod in response. "She'll be rather sore when she regains consciousness, and she perhaps might even have a rather horrific headache. Though, she'll be fine in a couple of weeks."

"Did you notice that something was wrong with me before?"

"You mean did I know that the Dark Lord was in control of you?" I nod sharply. "I regret that I did not know until you addressed Aurora. When I had said that it was a trying day for both of you, I had only believed that you were tired from all that had taken place. After all, your emotions appeared to be controlling you, which we saw when you drew your wand on me earlier. Before you even attempt to apologize, don't, Harry. I understand, and I am rather certain that Draco does too."

"Mum seemed to know right away, though." Dad sighs before smiling inwardly.

"Aurora has always had an uncanny ability to detect darkness near her. I believe it is a result of the amulet she wears." I nod slowly and sigh quietly.

"Dad, um…it's sort of a stupid question, but that letter you received the other day from your mum?" I notice Dad sharply inhale before motioning for me to continue. "Is your mum still alive?"

"No, Harry, she's not. She died when I was in my early years at Hogwarts."

"Then why did you get a letter from her the other day?"

"She charmed it to arrive the day of my firstborn's birth, but in this case it was the Ministry finalizing your adoption papers. Because you now share my blood, it appears to have tricked my mother's charm into thinking that you are my firstborn child."

"Oh, so why were you so angry about it?"

"The majority of it concerned her continuation of apologies for not having the strength to leave Tobias. However, the remaining parts dealt only with her wish to express how proud she was of me and that she regrets not being with me to see the birth of her grandchild."

"That doesn't sound so bad, though, Dad."

"And it is not, Harry. However, unfortunately, there was a great deal of animosity between us towards the later years of her life over the fact that she refused to leave Tobias." I slowly nod before sighing. "Either way, though, it does not matter. Nothing she said was something that I did not already know. I knew there was contempt in her eyes concerning Tobias's treatment of me, and she always apologized to me when alive for not leaving him. There was nothing new in the letter."

"Um…I've noticed this a few times now," I quietly say before picking at the bottom of my shirt.

"Just ask, Harry," Dad replies gently.

"Why do people sometimes refer to you as 'Prince'? That letter we received from the Ministry addressed it to Severus Prince, but aren't you, well, a Snape?"

"My Muggle birth certificate states me as being Severus Tobias Snape. However, in her later years, my mother wished me to share her surname in the Wizarding World so that I would not be associated with Tobias. So, in her sheer brilliance, she filed the necessary paperwork and changed my name to Severus Tobias Prince. Unfortunately, Hogwarts had already written down my last name as Snape, instead of Prince."

"That's rather confusing, isn't it?"

"Yes and no," Dad replies with a soft snort. "I am called Snape by the majority of the people who know me, but to the Ministry I am the last of the Prince line so I must always sign my name as Prince in that case."

"Why don't you just change it to Prince, Dad?"

"Believe me. I've tried," replies Dad with a soft scoff. "Unfortunately, before their deaths, my maternal grandparents placed a curse on me, so that only a true pureblood could carry the Prince name. Seeing as how I'm a half-blood, though, it will not work. I haven't fully understood why the curse hasn't taken affect yet with the Ministry referring to me as a Prince, but I'm not about to start spouting off that I'm Severus Tobias Prince to the world." He then sighs again. "Then there is also the fact that if the Dark Lord ever truly learned that I was a Prince, well, it wouldn't have been pretty, I assure you."

"Draco and Mum are purebloods, though."

"Correct, so if either wanted, they could carry the Prince name, but not me."

"And I couldn't either, could I?" I ask quietly.

"Unfortunately, we are both subjected to the sheer cruelty of Blair and Rayne Prince."

"Too bad there isn't a potion that could change you into a pureblood, Dad."

"It is rather ironic that the one thing I want more than anything is something I had no control over. But such is life," Dad says before glancing over my shoulder at something. His eyes light up briefly, and he smiles softly.

"Dad, what is it?" I receive my answer a few moments later when a hand gently cards my hair. I honestly can't help it. I scream and quickly roll towards Draco, who is laughing hysterically. I am panting horribly from the awful fright, but I roll over onto my side to see what it is that has touched my hair. My mouth drops at the dark chocolate eyes staring at me. "Mum?" I whisper softly.

"Severus, why is there a Potter in our bed?"